Electrically driven hair clipper and the like



Dec. 25, 1951 S. A. HORSTMANN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN HAIR CLIPPER AND THE LIKE Filed July 9, 1946 2 SHEETSSHEET l INVENTOR I 511) Y ADOLPH HORSTMANN His Attorney Dec. 25, 1951 5. A. HORSTMANN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN HAIR CLIPPER AND THE LIKE Filed July 9, 1946 2 SXIEETS-SPEET 2 zmmon SIDNEY ADOLPH HORSTMANN FIG] a a .l l M H 12 V\ w M Kw Ww 3 H .Ik d

His A tto rney Patented Dec. 25, 1951 OFFICE 1 ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN HAIR CLIPPER AND THE LIKE Sidney Adolph Horstmann, Bath, England Application July 9, 1546, Serial No. 682,194

In Great Britain August 2, 1945 i This invention relates to improvements in electrically driven hair clippers and the like of the kind provided with means whereby they may be adapted to out the hair to different lengths, and has for its chief object to provide a novel, simple and efficient method of efiecting the desired adjustment.

In an electrically driven hair clipper or the like according to the present invention, the thickness of the lower, fixed, comb or cutter increases from the front rearwardly and means are provided for adjusting the longitudinal position of the upper, oscillating, comb or cutter relative to the lower cutter so that it may be effective to cut the hair to different lengths.

Preferably the upper cutter is carried by the forward ends of a bridle piece which extends rearwardly within the casing and at its rear end is pivoted on a pin, the position of which is adjustable to produce the desired backward and forward movement of the upper cutter.

Several additional novel and advantageous features of construction and arrangement are provided by the present invention and are fully described hereinafter and claimed in the appended claims. r

In order that this invention may be the more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example the preferred embodiment of this invention, and in which: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of hair clipper, and

Figure 2 is aplan view of the same with the upper cover removed.

Figures 3 and 4 are sectional plan views showing the mounting and means for adjusting the position of the upper cutter relative to the lower, fixed, cutter.

i Figure 5 is a side elevation of the cutters showingthe two positions of the same.

, Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6. of Figure 5.

, Figure 7 is a section on line 'l1.of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure2, and t Figure 9 is a local section on line 9-9 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings, the hair clipper illustrated therein comprises a lower main casing [0 having an upper cover I l to enclose the mechanism, this cover being removably held in posi-* tion by means of a screw l2. The lower cutter I3 is fixed to the forward end of the casing l0 and the u per cutter. .s o ci a ed trans gr lytb ckz the complete 3 Claims. (Cl. 3 0-221) wards and forwards over the same by means of the armature 15 of an electro-magnet IS. The method of driving and mounting of the upper cutter M will be more fully described hereinafter. The armature is shaped as shown more clearly in Figure 2, and is mounted at the rear of the casing In on a screw H. The lateral position of the armature relative to the electro-magnet I6 is controlled by the compression springs I8 and I9 which bear one on each side of the same, the spring I8 being adjustable by means of the thumb screw to adjust the position of the armature and hence the throw of the upper cutter. The vertical position of the armature which controls the pressure with which the upper cutter l4 bears on the lower cutter I3 is adjusted by means of a screw 2! (Figure 9) which passes through the bottom of the casing l0 and screws into an extension I5a of the armature beyond the pivot screw II.

The upper cutter I4 is carried at the forward ends of a bridle piece which is conveniently formed from a length of wire, the forward ends 25a of the bridle piece being turned down and fitting into spaced holes one on each side of the centre line of the same. The bridle piece 25 extends rearwardly in the casing I 0 underneath the electromagnet l6 and at its rear end is pivoted on a pin 25.

The attachment of the forward ends of the bridle piece to spaced points on the upper cutter l4, one on each side of the point of drive, will effectively prevent the upper cutter pivoting, even slightly, about the point of drive and, whilst it is true that the actual movement of any point of the upper cutter is an arc of a circle having at its centre the pin 26, the radius of this circle is so large compared with the amplitude of the upper cutter oscillation that for all practical purposes the movement of the upper cutter is a straight line transversely across the lower fixed cutter l3.

,The pin 26 on which the bridle piece 25 is pivoted is not fixed to the casing I 0 of the clipper but is carried by a crank 21, pivoted at 28 in the casing, and adapted to be controlled from outside the casing by means of a small arm or lever 29. The crank 2! extends beyond the pin 25 and also functions as a stop to limit the backward and forward movement of the bridle piece 25 and upper cutter II by engagement with suitable abutments on the casing It], as shown in Figures 3 and 4. i o

By moving the external arm or lever the pinf26 forming the pivot point of the bridle piece 2 bridle piece 25 causes a corresponding backward and forward movement of the upper cutter. as will be readily appreciated.

Friction-.atight holding means are preferablyprovided on the crank spindle 28 to hold the bridle piece 25 against undesired movement when once it has been set.

Referring now to the connection between the forward end of the armature l and theupper cutter l4, it will be appreciated that this connectionmus e a to l o e a wa d and forwa d mov men of e pp cutter but sub e t o thi anv s i e me ns a be v de for co nec n h rmatur o he p cu t s p ef rred, owev to empl y t m s h wn. ni a r w es- As l a t e o n t ng m ans comprise, a spring retaining or bridge piece 39 shaped. atv its ends to form grooves 31' taking o r rid e p ece: The t w r an o the armature i5 is turned around at right angles to ha l atr flnaana as, a b, andg'i o id wit a in 32. wh ch issh uld rad t id Provided with a bali shaped end 3/5, The ball 35' tak s in o. a le dim 35 n he r ta n n niacatii to ive l adri $11 11 a m t doi'cqm necting the armature to the upper cutter has many advantages, For example, it does not req ire'any. sl t iua he pp r a a- The about de 33' on t e n, 32: i add on o enablinethe pin 32 to be easily riveted or soldered into the end of the. armature I51 bears on the back of the, retaining piece 33 and keeps the same in place. The connection is, furthermore, such thatit permits of the easy movement of the upper blade ba war s and. or ards and rq a spring prassu ebatw ant u er a d e t t s audit, 7 Vi The iorwarden'dslof the bridle prior to being turned down as at 25a are preferably cranked as a .1 Fi ure. 5 so hat t ey lie paralle to t blade t. This w ll ns re h t an e p essure, is main a ned betw en th bla s d H1 at all positions of the blade I i. V

a With ar aw t ens i e y nn g Q th upper cutter ba l hearings it, as shownin Figure 7 may be provided between the upper and lower c er r The thickness of the teeth of the lower f xed cornbor cutter 13 increases fromthe forward-edge towards the rear, as shown clearly in Figure- 5, andit will thus be seen that, as the upper cutter I4 is moved longitudinally backwards and forwards over the lower cutter 13, it will co-operate with di erent thicknesses of blades in the lower cutter; and so the clippermay easilybe-adjusted to cut the hair to diiierent lengths,

'Preferabl-y a short-haired brush it isarra-ng ed around the inside of the front end of theremovable cover in order to impede asfar as possible the ingress of hair clippings into the casing where they are liable to interfere withthe satisfactoryworking-of the apparatus.

The flexible conductor 5t for supplying the electrosmagnet preferably enters the casing to on d as h w n igu e nst d of i the middle, as-is usual with electric hair clippers.

This will materially facilitate the use of the clippers since the conductor 5| will no longer get in the Way of the users hand. The conductor 5| enters the casing through a rubber sleeve 52 which is gripped between the two parts It, H of the casing, and a loop 53, by means of which the clippers maybe hung up, is-preferably provided at the further end of this tube. This position-' ing of the loop 53 will reduce the chance of the clippers being damaged when not in use.

It will, of course, be obvious that the longitudinal position ofthe upper cutter relative to the lower cutter may be adjusted by other means than those described above, and all such means are to be considered as falling within the scope of the present invention.

I claim:

1. An electrically-driven hair clipper, which comprises, in combination: a casing; a lower fixed combrlike cutter secured to said casing at its forward. end, said. cutter having teeth which. increase in thickness rearwardly, toward. the rear end of said. c sin an upper m -like. cutter having tee h, sa d upper cutter cooperating. with said; lo er tter and mount d in juxtaposition thereto, said upper cutter being adapted to be osc la d transverse y with espect tos id low u ter and be n prov ded; with wo apertures ransvers l spaced-with res e t toeachoth r at opr siteeo s o said upper; cut er; a e ctrot. m nted in sai ca i g in h a ward th reo v adjacent said combs ikecutters; armature r; s elect omasnet the r ar.- w portion f a. a ma i ifi ei assure t9 the ear at sai tin amt in means. att for ard nd: of saiav rmatu e. be ond ideleo trgma t ne a ely connec in sa armatute ,d war from sa d e1 .tro: ma n t v s sai ppe cu t r tran vers y th as att osaid owe cutter oaat hair ld with s t eth; a cran piv ed. t said, ca ine and ac iu tablyma ted with, espect thereto in themat- Wam .p tioubf sa cas n said; cr n be n adapted to be rotated with respecttosaid piuotal mountin by the application or pr ure to one end; thereof exten in outside'of. said ca in a pivot inmaim ed on one. arm or said. crank with: iii-said. c sing; an an ad st n idle p ece for adj tin the longitud nal position or said upper cutter with respect to, said lower cutter whereb the. length ofrhair cut by said clipper may be regulated, said bridle piece being generally 'U-l. shaped in form and having the closed end of the U extending rearwardly of said electromagnet in said casing for a considerable distancebeyond said electromagnet, said rearwardly. extending portion being pivoted tov said crank'by. extending around said pivot pin, the forward'end ofsaid u-shaped bridle piece being bent downwardly at the terminal portions thereof so. as toprovide wo dependin bent-over end-s. said ependin bentsove'r ends being positioned in said apertures in said upper cutter, whereby rotation of said crank moves said bridle piece forwardly or rear-e cutter longitudinally with respect to saidlower' V cutter tor-regulate the length of haircut iby' daid clipper; a i

' 2. .An electrically-.driven hair clipper as defined in claim '-1, wherein :said Ueshaped adjusting bridle piece comprises a single pieceofwire, and wherein an abutment is-provided said ca-sing for limiting rotational movement'of said crank 5 and longitudinalmovement or said bridle piece which is pivotally secured thereto.

3. An electrically-driven hair clipper as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting means for driving said upper cutter from said armature includes a spring retaining piece in contact with said upper cutter to transmit motion thereto, said retaining piece being provided with a ballreceiving depression on one surface thereof; and a shouldered pin, secured to said armature, said pin being provided with a terminal ball-shaped end which is seated in said ball-receiving depression, and said pin being so positioned that the shoulder thereon bears against said retaining piece, thereby keeping said retaining piece in place on said upper cutter.

SIDNEY ADOLPH HORSTMANN.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

